Heat exchange device



N. HUBS-ARD HEAT EXCHANGE DEV ICE Fil

ed Jan. 8 l

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 a UNITED STATES .PATll-:NTpoI-FICE NORMAN HUBBARD, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW I vJERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 `THE BAIBCOCK` 6a .j

WILCOX COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIONl 0F NEW JERSEY HEAT EXCHANGE DEVICE Application filed January 8, 1929. Serial No. 331,094.l

This invention relates to that type of heat exchangers, such as air heaters, which is composed of a series of spaced plates and separators to form alternate passages for hot gases and air to be heated.

An object of my invention is to provide means to assemble the plates and separators to form a self contained air heater unit inde* pendent of external support.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1 and 2 are a partial section transversely of the plates and a top View respectively; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the notched bar; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the application of the invention to a conventional plate type.

air heater. Y

Reference character 1 indicates a metal bar that is continuous along one edge and notched along the other edge in such a manner that the resulting toothlike projections 2 between the notches have their sides converging inwardly. When the bar 1 is straight, as shown in Fig. 3, the width of the notch between the outer points of the teeth 2 is equal to the theoretical thickness of two plates and a separator between them. When the bar is curved, the length of the notches between points of the teeth is automatically. increased to admit of a notch spanning a pair of plates 4 and a` separator 5 as indicated at 3 in Fig. 1. When the teeth 2 are driven int-o the spaces between the alternate pairs of plates and their separator, in a manner to straighten the bar as shown at 6 in Figs. 1 and 4, the length of the notches is automatically decreased so as to pinch each pair of plates upon their separator. As indicated on the drawings, the notched bars may be of an indeterminate length as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or of a. fixed length as shown in Fig. 3. In the latter case the bars are staggered so that their ends l 'l' overlap.

The separators 5 at the ends of the plates 4 close the alternate spaces between the plates and the separators 5 along the edges of the plates 4 also close alternate spaces between the plates, the separators 5 and 5 alten nating with each other in the wellvknown manner sothat every other Vspace between the plates serves as gas passages and the remainder as air passages. -Whenfthe separators 5 and 5 are of the same width, the

`width of the teeth 2 at their outer points should be less than the width of the notches between the outer points of these teeth by the combined, theoretical thicknessof two of the plates 4. If the widths of the separa-` tors 5 and 5 vary the widths of the teeth 2 of the bars 1 shouldl be varied accordingly. It will be noted that as indicated in Fig. 4 aheat exchanger made up of plates 4 and separators 5 and held together' by the use ofthe notched bar 1 as above described, need only be surrounded by a conventional casing 7 as means to direct the How of air and gas through the heater. Appropriate inlets and outlets forthe `gas and air will be 'T provided in a well known way to cause one of Vthem to flow through the spaces 8 and the vother to iow through the spacesy 9.

IVhile the invention has been described in connection with heat exchangers or an air enough so that the portions between the bars 1 will not spring away from the separators or 5, or, thelportions of the plates between the bars 1 should be maintained in firm contact with the separators in some other manner. i

I claim 1.4 In a heat exchanger, plates spaced to forni alternate passages for hot gas and air, separators located in alternate spaces between said plates, and elongated clamps with spacing members thereon extending transversely of said plates across a plurality of the same to clamp each pair of plates to the separators between them.

2. In a heat exchanger, plates spaced to form alternate passages for hot gas and air, separators located in alternate spaces between said plates, and means to clamp each pair of plates to the separators between them, said means comprising a plurality of clamping bars `extending ltransversely at intervals across the edges of said plates and having a plurality of joint pinching members .along the length thereof.

3.111 a heat exchanger, plates space d toV form alternatepassages for hot gas and air, separators located in alternate spaces between said plates, and a plurality of notched bars with joint pinching members along the length thereof to clamp each pair of plates to the separators between them.

'4. In a heat exchanger, plates spaced to form alternate passages for hot gas and air, separators located 4in alternate spaces between said plates and a plurality of notched bars curved to open said notches to span successive pairs -of said Vplates and their separators, and capable lof beingstraightened to clamp said successive pairs of plates and the separa-tors between them. 5. The process whichcomprises assembling plates in pairs with separators between the two plates of each pair and forcing the teeth of a curved bar into the spaces between the pairs.

6. The process which comprises assembling plates in pairs with separators between the two plates of each pair and forcing connected teeth `into the spaces between the pairs and bringing said teeth closer together as -they are forced into place.

7. The process which comprises assembling plates with separators alternating between the plates along the ends and sides thereof, and clamping said plates to said separators 'by applying pressure at intervals to opposite sides of pairs of -said plates; n

8. Theprocesswhich comprises assembling plates Vin pairs spaced apart and forcing the teeth of a curved bar into the spaces between :the pairs.

9. In -a device yof the character described, plates spaced to form alternate passages for hotgas and air, separators located in alternate spaces between said plates and elongated bars to clamp each pair of plates tothe separators between them, each of said bars having a plurality of pinching members spaced along Ithe length thereof.

l0. In a device of the character described, pairs of plates having spaces between the pairs, and elongated bars to hold the pairs in spaced relation, each of said bars having a plurality of pinching members spaced along the length thereof and extending into the spaces between said pairs.

NORMAN HUBBARD.

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